Carpet Area vs. Built-up Area vs. Super Built-up Area: A Simple Guide to Property Measurements

Shopping for apartments in India gets confusing fast. A builder shows you a flat advertised as 1000 square feet, but when you walk through it, the space feels much smaller. You're not imagining things. The advertised number often includes areas you'll never actually use as living space.

Three different terms describe apartment sizes: carpet area, Built up Area, and Super Built up Area. Understanding what each term actually covers helps you figure out what you're paying for.

What Carpet Area Actually Covers

Carpet area means the usable floor space where you'll actually live. This is the area you can walk on, place furniture in, or theoretically roll out carpet across. It doesn't include walls, balconies, or any shared spaces.

RERA regulations define RERA carpet area as the floor area inside your apartment, including internal partition wall thickness. External walls, service shafts, balconies, and terraces don't count.

Does carpet area include a toilet?

Bathrooms and toilets do count as carpet area since they're enclosed usable spaces within your unit. So yes, carpet area includes toilet and bathroom spaces.

Built-Up Area Adds Wall Thickness

Built up Area takes your carpet area and adds the thickness of all walls surrounding and within your apartment. It also includes any attached balconies or utility spaces that belong exclusively to your unit.

The difference between built-up area vs carpet area runs about 10-15% in most cases. If your carpet area measures 700 square feet, expect built-up area around 770-805 square feet. Wall thickness and balcony space account for the difference.

Super Built-Up Area Includes Everything

Super Built up Area is the largest measurement and the one most commonly featured in advertisements. This includes your built-up area plus a proportionate share of every common space in the building.

Common areas that get divided among all apartments include entrance lobbies, stairways, elevator shafts, corridors, clubhouse facilities, gym spaces, swimming pools, parking areas, and utility rooms. You're essentially buying a small percentage of these shared spaces along with your apartment.

Builders use super built-up area to calculate property prices, meaning you pay for portions of facilities everyone uses collectively. The loading factor (difference between super built-up and carpet area) varies widely between projects, ranging from 25% to over 40% in some developments.

A flat advertised at 1000 sq ft super built-up might contain only 600-700 sq ft of actual living space. This isn't deceptive exactly, but it does mean the advertised size and actual usable space differ significantly.

Calculating Area Measurements

How do you calculate carpet area?

Measure each room's length and width, multiply to get area, then add all room areas together. Include bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bathrooms, and internal corridors. RERA guidelines specify that internal wall thickness counts in carpet area calculations.

Working backwards to find carpet area from advertised measurements takes some estimation.

How to calculate carpet area from built-up area?

You can assume carpet area is roughly 70-80% of super built-up area. A 1000 sq ft super built-up apartment will likely have around 700-750 sq ft carpet area, though this varies by project.

Loading percentage shows how much common area gets added.

How do you calculate super built up area percentage?

Calculating super built up area percentage involves dividing super built-up by carpet area and multiplying by 100. If carpet area is 700 sq ft and super built-up is 1000 sq ft, loading is approximately 43%.

Typical Sizes for Different Apartments

What is the carpet area for a 2 bhk?

The carpet area for a 2 BHK varies considerably based on location and project positioning. Metro city budget projects might offer 550-650 sq ft carpet area for 2 BHK units. Mid-range developments typically provide 650-800 sq ft. Premium projects could go 800-1000 sq ft or higher.

Smaller cities generally offer larger carpet areas at given price points compared to metros. A 2 BHK in Tier 2 cities might have 750-900 sq ft carpet area at prices where metro apartments offer only 600-700 sq ft.

Read Also: 2BHK & 3BHK Building Layout With Carpet Area Planning Guide

What This Means When Buying

What is the difference between buildup and carpet area?

This boils down to wall thickness and balconies. Built-up includes these elements while carpet area measures only usable interior floor space. The gap usually runs 10-15% but depends on construction methods and wall materials used.

These measurement differences significantly affect actual pricing. A property advertised at ₹5000 per sq ft based on super built-up area actually costs ₹7000+ per sq ft when calculated on carpet area after accounting for loading factors.

Check purchase agreements carefully to see which measurement determines final pricing. Post-RERA, developers should use carpet area for pricing, but some still calculate based on super built-up while showing carpet area only as reference.

Compare properties using carpet area measurements, not super built-up numbers. A smaller advertised apartment with lower loading might provide more actual living space than a larger one with high loading percentages.

RERA requires developers to mention carpet area prominently in all advertisements and agreements. Many still highlight super built-up area in large fonts while tucking carpet area into fine print or footnotes.

Practical Steps for Buyers

• Visit properties with a measuring tape if possible, especially for under-construction projects where actual dimensions might differ from approved plans. Measure key rooms to verify carpet area claims match reality.

• Ask developers directly for carpet area measurements before making decisions. Request the calculation method they used, particularly regarding how internal walls get counted.

• Check your state's RERA website to verify project registration and review approved floor plans. These documents show official carpet area measurements that developers must deliver.

Understanding these measurement differences prevents surprises after possession when you realize the actual living space is significantly smaller than advertised square footage suggested.